Introduction¶
Welcome to the Volicon Media Intelligence Service (MIS) version 8.1 Admin Guide.
Purpose and scope¶
This document will provide the details and instructions necessary to guide you through MIS configuration and operation, addressing specific system and network administrator functions, including:
Connecting video sources
Encoders used to ingest various video sources
IP network configuration
Alerting thresholds
User accounts
Other system related parameters in the MIS
This document is also useful for advanced users to gain further understanding of system operations.
About the Volicon Media Intelligence Service™¶
The Volicon Media Intelligence Service suite of applications transforms content creation, sharing, and monitoring of broadcast products. It allows you to create and distribute high-quality content faster while immediately enabling response to the competition, advertisers and regulatory entities. Most importantly, the Volicon Media Intelligence Service enables you to provide an improved product that will increase approval from all audiences.
Figure: MIS functional diagram¶
The MIS continuously ingests the video and audio from multiple sources. MIS works with networks of all sizes. The system is preconfigured with default settings so that small installations can work right out of the box. For larger installations, you can define as many Probe servers and their streams in the Central Server as you need to completely monitor your network.
Conventions used in this manual¶
Type |
Classification |
|---|---|
Boldface |
Denotes names and labels in the Graphical User Interface (GUI) |
Capitalization |
Denotes key-words, module names, components and signal labels |
<Boldface> |
Denotes push buttons and other similar user input devices |
@Hyperlink |
Automatic links to other sections in the document denoted by boldface and the “@” prefix |
Definitions and acronyms¶
8VSB |
8-level vestigial sideband modulation: used for ATSC over the air broadcast |
ABR |
Adaptive bitrate video coding |
AC-3 |
Dolby Digital Audio Codec 3: compression used by ATSC |
ACE |
Automated Content Export |
AFD |
Active Format Description: metadata describing format i.e. 4:3 or 16:9 |
ARL |
As run logs: used to extract program schedule |
ASI |
Asynchronous Serial Interface: used to carry MPEG-TS |
ATSC |
Advanced Television System Committee: a set of standards for US digital television |
Bookmark |
Short program segments marked on the MIS server to facilitate auditing and sharing |
Bouquet |
A logical grouping of channels |
CALM Act |
Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation: FCC requirement for audio loudness |
CC/TT |
Closed captioning/ SMPTE timed text: protocols used to add text description of the audio |
CDN |
Content Deliver Network: distributed network of servers to host content as geographically near to the user as possible |
CEM |
Content Export Module: optional software package to export program clips to social media sites |
Clear QAM |
Clear Quadrature Amplitude Modulation: non-encrypted cable TV video distribution |
Component video |
Analog video with separate red, green, blue channels using three RCA connections |
Composite video |
Analog video over a single RCA connection |
Dialnorm |
AC-3 metadata used to control playback gain |
DPI |
Digital Program Insertion: metadata that allows downstream insertion of commercial or short programs |
DPI – in point |
Entry point to switch to a different stream |
DPI – out point |
Return to normal stream |
DvB |
Digital video Broadcasting: international suite of digital television standards |
ETSI |
European Telecommunications Standards Institute |
Encoder |
MIS function that receives and processes media signals |
Fault clips |
Portions of audio or video stream that fails to meet MIS quality thresholds |
GPI |
General Purpose Interface: metadata used for broadcast automation |
HDMI |
High Definition Multimedia Interface: a digital interface used to transport audio and video short distances |
IP |
Internet Protocol: used to send digital data from one computer to another |
IPMI |
Intelligent platform management interface: interface specification to provide low level managment functions outside the O/S |
Metadata |
Data-about-the-data: additional information carried by the program used to describe program details |
MH |
Media Hub: an internal MIS component |
MPEG |
Motion Picture Expert Group: an international organization that sets audio and video compression and transmission standards |
MPEG-TS |
MPEG Transport Stream: a standard container for audio, video, Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) |
Multiview |
MIS feature that allows you to configure multiple channels and monitoring widgets into a single display screen |
NAVE |
Nielsen audio video encoder: psychoacoustic symbols inserted in programs to facilitate automatic viewer tracking |
NTP |
Network Time Protocol: an internet standard used to synchronize computer real time clocks |
NTSC |
National Television System Committee: developed analog US television standard |
OTT |
Over the top program delivery using internet protocols |
PID |
Packet identifier: a unique 13-bit value used to identify elementary streams of a program in a single or multi-program Transport Stream |
Probe |
MIS ingest server housing one or more encoders |
PSIP |
Program and System Information Protocol: a method used to transport program metadata (e.g. sub channels, program guide, and content ratings) |
RPM |
Remote program monitor – Volicon multisite video analysis and monitoring suite |
S-video |
Separate video: a variation of composite video that separates luminance (black and white) from chrominance (color) to enhance video quality |
SD/HD-SDI |
Uncompressed standard or high definition video serial data interface |
Services |
A/V program content with the associated metadata |
SMLP |
Short main long proxy |
SMPTE |
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers: a standards group that creates numerous technical standards |
STB |
Set top box: a device used to make programming available to customers |
Storyboard |
Sequence of video frames to assist visualization |
TS |
Transport stream |
TSA |
Transport stream abalysis |
VANC |
Vertical Ancillary data space in digital streams |
W3C |
World Wide Web Consortium: sets standards to advance use of the World Wide Web |
XDS |
Extended Data Services: analog NTSC metadata |